The consumer products industry is constantly adapting containers for consumable products, such as ready-to-eat food items, in response to the increasingly sophisticated demands of consumers. For example, consumers increasingly desire food products that can be consumed at a time and location of the consumer's choosing. In a variety of industries, including but not limited to the food service industry, innovative packaging features can increase consumer demand and help differentiate product offerings in a competitive marketplace.
Thermoformed plastic containers are well known as containers for the sale of products, including but not limited to ready-to-eat foods. In the thermoforming or vacuum forming process for producing plastic articles, a section of a sheet or web of thermoplastic is heated to soften it, then the sheet is drawn into a mold by a vacuum, to assume the form of the mold before the sheet cools and hardens. Multiple individual plastic parts can be formed in this manner, such as the common “clamshell” plastic containers. The plastic containers can be sized and shaped to hold a wide variety of products. Additionally, the containers can be decoratively embossed.
Many thermoformed plastic containers, such as the common “clamshell” containers, include a base and a cover that together form a chamber. A consumable product, such as a ready-to-eat food, can be placed within the chamber formed by the base and cover. The cover may be attached to the base by a hinge and the cover may be fit to the base using an interference fit to hold the cover onto the base or to hold a hinged cover closed. Tabs and slots can also be used to hold the cover on the base, or to hold a hinged cover closed. However, thermoformed plastic containers are often pliable and the interference fit or tab connection can fail during storage or transportation of the container. Failure of the interference fit or tab and slot connection can cause the container to open, thereby spilling the contents of the container.
Other thermoformed plastic or foam containers, such as a disposable coffee cup and lid, also include a base and a cover that together form a chamber, with the cover fit to the base using an interference fit to hold the cover onto the base. The cover will often have an opening that allows some degree of controlled dispensing, for example using a cutout area that flexes to provide an opening for liquid. Other disposable coffee cup designs use a flap to cover an opening in the cover, with the flap held on the opening by an interference fit when the cup is in a closed position. Failure of the flexed cutout area or failure of the interference fit between the flap and the opening can cause the container to open, thereby spilling the contents of the container.
What is needed is a thermoformed dispensing container that allows controlled dispensing of materials or liquids while reducing the risk of spills during consumption, storage, and transport. What is further needed is such a container adapted for preparing and/or dispensing a combination of at least one liquid or semi-liquid material with one or more additional materials, while reducing the risk of spills during consumption, storage, and transport.